How to look good naked: do Boomer women really care?

On Friday the Oprah show featured Carson Kressley, the snarky gay fashion guru who became a household name in Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He has a new gig, a show called How to Look Good Naked, a hugely popular show on the Lifetime Channel.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I am not a fan of Oprah (her constant self-aggrandizement gets on my last nerve) and the very title of Carson's show made me roll my eyes. But I found myself sitting in my recliner with my foot wrapped in ice (from an injury that resulted in a torn tendon) and couldn't find the remote control, so I ended up watching the entire show. (OK, OK... we all know if I had really hated it or if it had been basketball, I would have found a way to change the channel).

Anyway, as you might expect, the show was about women who are down on themselves because they don't think they're attractive, especially naked. Carson's job is to restore their confidence and make them see they really are beautiful as "real women." He offered the predictable advice about how they should see their inner beauty. But the show eventually turned to the typical physical makeover with new hair cuts, make up and trendy clothes, which, of course, helped the women feel better about themselves. (Here's Carson's best tip, btw: if you carry a very large purse, it makes your butt look smaller. Who knew?)

In the end, they agreed to be photographed naked (in an artsy way) and their pictures were plastered on the side of a building where passersby stopped and commented on how beautiful they were. Viewers were left with the impression that the women were forever transformed and that the key to looking good naked is to think happy thoughts, dress sexy when you do wear clothes, and get your self-esteem boost from total strangers. (That's an over-simplification, but not by much.)

I couldn't help but think about the study my company, Edelman and its marketing research company, Strategy One, recently conducted. In it, 75% of Boomers said they do not feel they need to act or feel a certain way. I consider that to be one of the rewards of Boomer-hood. It's both  liberating and validating.

But it's also instructive.  If you want to reach out to Boomer women, keep in mind that most of us aren't whiny, vulnerable, empty pitchers waiting to be filled with self-esteem  by others. On the contrary, Boomer women are confident and independent, eager to have new experiences and share them with others.

Since we aren't particularly brand loyal (only 29% described ourselves that way) and we are willing to try new things, we are a great target for many consumer brands, whether you're selling clothes, makeup, food, whatever. If you already have our loyalty, you can keep it by continuing to be relevant to us. If you want to win our business, you have to show us why your brand deserves our attention.

Do we want to look good naked? Of course. Who doesn't? But the naked truth is we want to be treated as decision makers who can make or break your brand.

Comments

[Judy Dunn]

Great post. Being a "boomer female" myself, I would tend to agree with everything you said. Some good stuff here that directly applies to marketing to boomers.